The devil never retreats from the ground he attempts to take unless the Church of Jesus Christ forces him to retreat.  This is just the way it is on this earth, whether or not we like it or agree with it.  The devil is always doing his best to shut us up.  This article in the Times –Picayune describes his latest attempt to remove street preachers from proclaiming Christ on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  The preachers are still preaching out there as of today.  The police aren’t quite sure about this new city ordinance and how many suits are going to be leveled against the city.  If the Church of Jesus Christ rises up in New Orleans and storms the gates of hell on Bourbon street – believe me – the gates of hell will not prevail.  Never have, never will! ~ Flip

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012, 11:00 PM     Updated: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 7:55 AM

When the New Orleans City Council passed an ordinance in October prohibiting “aggressive solicitation” by people who allegedly harass or intimidate French Quarter residents and tourists while asking for money, it included a seemingly unrelated provision that attracted no attention at the time.

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Alex Brandon, The Times-Picayune archiveAnti-gay campaigners were photographed on Bourbon Street during Southern Decadence in 2003.

That sentence, almost at the end of the eight-page ordinance, said: “It shall be prohibited for any person or group of persons to loiter or congregate on Bourbon Street for the purpose of disseminating any social, political or religious message between the hours of sunset and sunrise.”

Although the law, sponsored by Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer, spelled out the justification for the crackdown on aggressive panhandlers, it offered no explanation for the blanket ban on letting people assemble on Bourbon Street at night to voice their views on politics or religion.

When someone complained about the law this week, however, it was not to challenge it as an infringement on First Amendment freedoms. Instead, former mayoral candidate Leo Watermeier complained to Palmer and Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson in public emails that religious demonstrators, sometimes with large signs and bullhorns, have been showing up on Bourbon Street on Friday and Saturday nights, yet police have taken no action against them.

Watermeier wages an annual battle with the small group of anti-gay campaigners who show up during the Southern Decadence festival, using bullhorns and picket signs to convey their message that homosexuality is evil and that its public celebration during Decadence is particularly abominable.

Brendan McCarthy can be reached at bmccarthy@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3301. Bruce Eggler can be reached at beggler@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3320.